With China in Focus, Biden Makes $150 Million Commitment to ASEAN Leaders

CONCERN OVER CHINA

The countries share many of Washington's concerns about China.

China's assertion of sovereignty over vast swathes of the South China Sea has set it against Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei and Malaysia also lay claim to parts.

Yet countries in the region have also been frustrated by a U.S. delay in detailing plans for economic engagement since former President Donald Trump quit a regional trade pact in 2017.

"The U.S. should adopt a more active trade and investment agenda with ASEAN, which will benefit the U.S. economically and strategically," said Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Thursday.

The IPEF is set to be launched on Biden's trip to Japan and South Korea next week. But it does not currently offer the expanded market access Asian countries crave, given Biden's concern for American jobs.

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Analysts say that even though ASEAN countries share U.S. concerns about China, they remain cautious about siding more firmly with Washington, given their predominant economic ties with Beijing and limited U.S. economic incentives.

Kao Kim Hourn, an adviser to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, told Reuters that the country would not "choose sides" between Washington and Beijing although U.S. investment in his country is growing.

On Wednesday, Hun Sen was the target of a shoe-throwing protester prior to his first visit to the White House over a tenure that began in 1985. The Cambodian leader has faced criticism from activists for suppressing dissent.